Combination holder for a clothesline reel and clothespins



June 5, 1934. w. B. HElNTZ 1,961,356

COMBINATION HOLDER FOR A CLOTHESLINE REEL AND CLOTHESPINS Filed Dec. 16, 1953 lNVENTOR Patented June 5, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE COMBINATION HOLDER FOR A CLOTHES- LINE REEL AND CLOTHESPINS Claims.

One object which I have in view is the provision of a new and improved reel mechanism for clothes line, which will render more convenient the putting up and taking down of the line, and

5 which will provide a convenient and compact inclosure for storing the line when not in use.

Another object in View is the provision of more convenient means for storing, and also for dispensing clothes pins as they are required for use.

Another object is the provision of a partible box embodying in one instruinentality practical means for accomplishing the objects above set forth.

For the practical accomplishment of these purposes, I have invented a device presenting the following novel and useful characteristics.

I provide a two part partible box, one portion of which, preferably the upper portion, forms the container and mounting for the clothes line reel whose axle is journaled in the walls of the container, one end of the axle protruding from the container and provided with a crank handle.

The front of the container is provided with a horizontally elongated opening or slot through which the clothes line extends from the reel, and

means are provided adjacent the slot to maintain the line taut as it is unwound or wound up. Means are also provided for suspending the reel container from the shoulders of the user as the line is being put up or taken down.

The other, preferably the lower portion of the partible box, forms a clothes pin container and the same is provided with means for suspending it from and sliding it along the clothes line as the user is hanging up and pinning the clothes.

In the preferred embodiment of my invention the back wall of the pin container is extended upwardly to form the back wall of the reel container when the partible box is assembled and the top edges of the front and side walls of the pin container mate with and support the bottom edges of the like walls of the reel container when the box is assembled.

Means are provided for locking the two containers in their assembled relation, certain of said means being preferably employed for suspending the pin container from the clothes line, as above mentioned.

Other novel features of construction, and also of arrangement of parts, will appear from the following description.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein I have illustrated a practical embodiment of the principles of my invention, Fig. 1 is a side elevation showing the partible box assembled.

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the reel container.

Fig. 4 is a like view of the pin container.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail in vertical section showing one of the means for connecting the containers in assembled relation.

Fig. 6 is a detail in elevation of the same, the hook being swung at right anglestoits relative position shown in Fig. 5.

Fig. '7 is a broken inside elevation on enlarged 05 scale of the front walls of the assembled containers showing other means for connecting the containers together.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged sectional detail showing means for preventing the reel from spinning on 10 its axis.

Referring to the drawing, 1 represents the reel container and 2 the pin container. These containers may be made of metal but I prefer to use wood as their material as indicated in the draw- 76 mg.

The reel container 1 has a front wall 3, two side walls 4, a rear fixed lid 5 and a front hinged lid 6. The container 1 is unprovided with a rear wall for the rear wall of the container 2 is pro- 80 longed upwardly and, when the two containers are assembled, fits between the side walls 4 of the container 1 and abuts the lid 5 from below, as will hereinafter more fully appear. The container 1 is preferably without a floor.

'7 represents an axle horizontally supported in; the container 1 as by having its ends journaled in the walls 4, one end of the axle protruding and provided with a crank handle 8. 9 represents the line reel or spool fixed on the axle and rotating therewith. To prevent the reel from spinning,

I prefer to interpcse a cupped spring metal washer 10 between one of the ends of the reel and the adjacent side wall, the washer being strung on the axle. 11 represents a horizontally elongated opening or slot in the front wall 3 of the container 1, through which slot the clothes line is led from the reel 9. 12 represents horizontally disposed helical springs stretched across the container 1 within the opening 11 and sufficiently spaced apart so as to lightly grip the clothes line between them. As a convenient method of securing such springs in place, their end eyes may be extended through holes in the side walls 4 and be engaged by the twin legs o-fstaples 13 which bear flat against the outer faces of said walls and the points of which are inbent and driven into the walls to anchor them in place.

The springs 12 maintain a tension on the paid out clothes line which facilitates its unwinding .110

and rewinding when the line is being put up for use or taken down. Where a knot occurs in the line, the springs will spread to let it pass.

14 represents a cross brace at the lower rear between the side walls 4, said brace being set forward enough that the upwardly extended rear wall of the container 2, will abut inwardly against it when the containers are assembled.

15 represents a transversely disposed cleat which is attached to the front Wall 3 and depends below the same, the front face of such depending portion being bevelled, as shown at 16, to assist in assembling the containers. At its center the cleat 15 is recessed to receive the depending metal plate 17 which is provided with a pin opening 18.

Referring now to the container 2, the latter is provided with a front wall 19, side walls 20, floor 21 and rear wall 22. The bottom edges of the walls 3 and 4 of the container 1 are horizontal as are the top edges of the walls 19 and 20. The rear wall '22 extends upwardly, so that when the -container 1 is superimposed on the container 2 with its walls 3 and 4 resting on the walls 19 and 20 of the container 2, the rear wall 22 of the container 2 will fit between the side walls 4 of the container 1 and will lit up against the fixed lid '5 of the container 1.

The upper portion of the rear wall 22 is recessed exteriorly to provide room for the attachment of the metal socket 23 in which is swivelled the upwardly extending hook 24, which when the containers are assembled, extends up through a slot 25 in the rear edge of the fixed lid 5. The hook may then be turned into position to overhang the lid 5 and thus lock the containers together at the rear, as shown in Fig. 5. By providing the base of the hook 24 with a radial pin or projection 26 which works against a cam surface 27 on the bottom edge of the socket 23, the rotation of the hook to engage the lid 5 may be employed to wedge the hook down against the lid, thus preventing accidental disengagement.

The front wall 19 of the container 2 is provided with an inwardly projecting pin or stud 28 which engages the hole 18 in the plate 17 and thus locks the containers together at the front.

When the containers are to be assembled, the container, 1 is tilted as indicated in dotted lines in Fig.4, first inserting the cleat 15 into the front of the container 2 and then swinging the top of the container 1 until it settles in place, the hole 18 of the plate 1'7 engaging the. pin 28, and the rear wall 22 matingv with the walls 4 and the lid 5. The hook 24 engages the slot 25 and is then turned to lock the containers together as has been described.

29 represents a loop of rope or a strap having its ends secured to the upper side walls of the container 1 so that the assembled box or the reel container 1 may be carried from the shoulders of the user.

The lid 6 may be'opened and the hand reached down so that the clothes pins may be withdrawn from the assembled box.

container 2 be hung from a clothes line, it may be conveniently slid along the line as the clothes are hung and pinned.

Due to the location of the hook 24 relative to the container 2, the latter when suspended from the clothes line by the hook will tilt forwardly, rendering it more accessible for removing the pins.

The horizontal extension of the rope slot 11 in the container 1 and the provision of the helical springs 12 enable the user when winding up the clothes line to wind the line uniformly on the reel by swinging the container from side to side as the winding proceeds.

I claim:

1. A combination holder for a clothes line reel and clothes pins, comprising two containers arranged to mate in superimposed relation, the upper container containing the reel and being provided with an opening through which the line is led while the lower container is for the clothes pins, the upper container having three vertical walls while one. of the walls of the lower container is extended to complete the vertical inclosure of the upper container when the containers are assembled, and means for joining said containers together 'to form a portable unit, comprising a detachable connection between said extended wall and the upper container and a detachable connection between aligned walls of the containers.

2. A combination holder for a clothes line reel and clothes pins, comprising two containers in superimposed relation with horizontal mating surfaces, the upper container containing the clothes line reel and provided with an opening through which the line is led and the lower container for clothes pins, the lower container having an upwardly extending rear wall which when the containers are assembled forms the rear wall of the upper container, and means for detachably connecting said containers together.

3. A combination holder for a clothes line reel and clothes pins, comprising two containers in superimposed relation with horizontal mating surfaces, the upper container containing the clothes line reel and provided with an opening through which the line is led and the lower container for clothes pins, the lower container havingan upwardly extending rear wall which when the containers are assembled forms the rear wall of the upper container, means for connecting together the containers at the front, and a device carried by said extended wall and arranged when the containers are assembled to connect the containers together as a portable unit and when the containers are separated to suspend the lower container from a clothes line'or other support.

4. In a clothes line reel container, the combination of means for mounting a reel therein, one of the walls of the container being provided with a horizontally elongated opening through which the line is led from the reel, and spring means associated with said opening for-gripping the extended line to retard the travel of the line through the opening.

5. In a clothes line reel container, the combination of means for mounting a reel therein, one of the walls of the container being provided with a horizontally elongated opening through which'the line is led from the reel, and a pair of parallel helical springs arranged adjacent to said opening and parallel therewith between which the line is led from the reel.

WILLIAM B. HEINTZ. 

